Down East farmers market seeking ... farmers
1/11/10 | 11 comments

Down East farmers market seeking ... farmers


By Sharon Kiley Mack
BDN Staff

WHITING, Maine — In assessing the 2009 farmers market season in Calais, farmers of the Washington County Farmers’ Alliance at their meeting here Sunday said they are lacking one key ingredient: more farmers.

Ted Carter, a farmer from Alexander, said the Calais market is going so well on Tuesdays that he never even got to the Eastport farmers market on Saturdays.

“I was all sold out,” he said. “One day we sold 120 pounds of peas. Their market is there [in Calais].”

Carter said the foot traffic didn’t diminish after the tourist season ended.

“It’s the local people that are coming out,” he said.

Carter said the Calais market had a good variety this past season, selling maple syrup, vegetables, berries, goat milk products and flowers.

“We fully have the city fathers’ support,” Carter said. “They supply the space,” which is in the downtown on grass.

But Carter said he’s heard from farmers markets in Eastport, Ellsworth, Blue Hill and Calais that there are not enough local growers to meet local demand.

The Alliance members said they will try to expand and extend the growing season to feed those customers.

Carter also said there will be a new addition to the market at Calais this spring: a community tent.

“This could be a place for backyard gardeners who have surplus fruits or vegetables to offer them for sale,” he said.

It could also provide testing space for new farmers who are just investigating whether to make the leap to farmers' markets.

Not only are farmers markets looking for more growers, but local buying clubs and cooperatives are also.

Inez Lombardo, who coordinates the Machias Marketplace, a buying club, said that last December her club averaged 20 customers a week who spent about $2,200.

“That is with no tourists,” she said.

Lombardo said the club is served by seven area farmers who provide bread, meat, dairy products, cheese, fruits and herbal products.

“At this time of year, we really need greens,” she said, and expressed encouragement for Alliance farmers to think about winter gardening.

The Alliance also approved at Sunday’s meeting a farmers’ winter retreat to focus and network more fully, and approved a new brochure that details all the county's farms and the products they offer.

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Comments
11 comments on this item
On 1/11/10 at 5:11 PM, jimbastion wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Hmm. I saw some pretty nice winter greens at the Hannaford. Of course, they were a decent price, not bruised or beat up and from elsewhere. So, they couldn't possibly be good.

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On 1/11/10 at 6:02 PM, handliner wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

jim--get yourself a copy of "Food, Inc." and then get back to us.

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On 1/11/10 at 10:32 PM, beegrant wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Fine, jimbastion. You take the waxed shiny apples and cucumbers and oh so pretty lettuce from California that creates massive CO2 emissions to get the 3500 miles from there to here. I'll take the slightly frayed local greens and apples with spots I might need to carve around, but without velpar and other nasty chemicals which put me and my children and grandchildren at risk for long term health concerns. And while I am at it, I'll put my money into the local economy - jobs for Mainers - while you give yours to Florida and California farmers.

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On 1/12/10 at 10:37 AM, Eugene wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Is there available locally goat's milk yogurt and/or cheese?

I have read a raft of supporting documents about the goat yogurt and cheese combating so many pestering conditions of the human body that I will not bother to begin a list here. The goat milk must be certified organic, however.

We grow perennial spinach in quantity and freeze in two pound blocks. This type of leaf spinach keeps frozen and thaws to lustry crispness for any type of addition to soups, pizza, pasta, etc. Far exceeds any commercially grown spinach.

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On 1/12/10 at 6:09 PM, jimbastion wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You mean like the 20 million pounds of CO2 (which I don't believe matters) that the private jets of 'World Leaders' emitted on the way to Copenhagen? Or the CO2 put out by Barack Hussein Obama (mmm-mmm-MMMM) and his wife when they took separate jets to Copenhagen?

Or how about the CO2 from Al Gore's Lincoln six yrs ago when he was stopped for speeding in Montana?

Hahaha...

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On 1/12/10 at 6:10 PM, jimbastion wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Eat all the natural stuff you wish - it is just wishful thinking, almost a religion.

No matter how long you live you'll be dead much longer.

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On 1/13/10 at 8:12 AM, fromaweigh wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The Calais market is a huge sucess! Needed: More Farmers!

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On 1/13/10 at 8:26 PM, charlie2010 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It is true we'll all be dead longer then alive,but why not help the community we live in today and keep the money here. I also prefer to know where my food came from, and enjoy talking to the person that grew and raised my food.Guess I'm just a simple man.

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On 1/13/10 at 9:14 PM, CoffeeDrinker wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Eugene - yes, there is a place in Jonesport that is a grade A (goat's milk) dairy (Gardenside Dairy). Local Harvest --> http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?map=1&lat=44.574423&lon=-67.601698&scale=8&ty=0&nm=goat%20milk&zip=04649 can help too. The place in Jonesport mails as well as sells at the Eastport and Calais farmers market and I think she has some products at the health food store in Calais. (http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M6782)

I have dairy goats too, but I don't sell to the public. :)

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On 1/21/10 at 9:07 AM, Knightscross wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Are there any farmers left in Washington County? Thought they all went bankrupt and went on Food Stamps.

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On 1/26/10 at 7:55 PM, LocalVolunteer wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You can also get Morningside Dairy goat cheese and other products at Eastport Market Day from June through September. You can get great local produce, meat and dairy as well as local crafts, good coffee and baked goods. This market is also coming very close to demand being greater than supply and is always looking for more farmers. It also needs a bread maker and a local honey producer. Local food is fresher and just tastes so much better. You can contact the Eastport Arts Center or Eastport for Pride to inquire about the market.

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